Centre approves 5,000 additional PG medical seats by 2028-29

India currently has 86,360 postgraduate (PG) medical seats, with Karnataka accounting for the highest number, while there is no proposal to convert all diploma seats into full-fledged Diplomate of National Board (DNB) seats, the government informed Parliament on August 7. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Health Minister J P Nadda said the national medical commission (NMC) and the national board of examinations in medical sciences (NBEMS) had informed that there are 86,360 PG medical seats across the country.

The government has also approved the third phase of centrally sponsored scheme to strengthen and upgrade existing state and central government medical colleges, standalone PG institutes and government hospitals. Under the scheme, 5,000 additional PG medical seats will be created during 2025-26 to 2028-29. The cost ceiling has also been enhanced to Rs 1.50 crore per seat.

On the regulation of fees charged by private medical colleges and deemed universities, Nadda said fee fixation for medical courses falls under the domain of respective state governments and Union Territories and varies from state to state.

He said the NMC issued guidelines in February 2022 for determining fees and other charges for 50 percent of seats in private medical institutions and deemed universities. However, the guidelines have been challenged in various courts and are currently sub judice.

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"Fixation of fees for medical courses, including post-graduate courses, falls within the domain of respective state and UT governments and differs from state to state," he said.

The minister added that fees for NBEMS courses, including DNB, DrNB, FNB and diploma programmes, are centrally regulated and uniform across the country, with the annual course fee fixed at Rs 1.25 lakh.

No proposal to convert DNB diplomas

When asked if there is a proposal to convert all DNB diploma seats into full-fledged postgraduate degree seats, Nadda said no such proposal is under consideration. "As informed by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), there is no proposal under its consideration to convert all Diploma seats into full-fledged PG medical degree (DNB) seats," he said.

NMC has established a regulatory framework through post graduate medical education regulations (PGMER), 2023, and post graduate minimum standards requirement, 2024, for starting new postgraduate medical courses and increasing seats in existing courses.

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The commission is currently considering the proposals submitted by medical colleges and institutions for new PG courses or additional seats. "Seats are approved subject to fulfilment of prescribed requirements related to faculty, infrastructure, clinical material and other norms," the minister said.

Nadda also highlighted measures undertaken by NBEMS to increase PG medical education opportunities including easing accreditation criteria without compromising teaching quality, introducing new PG courses, implementing the Joint Accreditation Scheme, encouraging district hospitals to seek accreditation and conducting outreach programmes with state governments, public sector undertakings, the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and other stakeholders.